editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Pam Fessler is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where she covers poverty and philanthropy. In her reporting, Fessler covers homelessness, hunger, and the impact of the recession on the nation's less fortunate. She reports on non-profit groups, how they're trying to address poverty and other social issues, and how they've been affected by the economic downturn. Her poverty reporting was recognized by a 2011 First Place Headliner Award in the human interest category. Previously, Fessler reported primarily on homeland security, including security at U.S. ports, airlines, and borders. She has also reported on the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, the 9/11 Commission investigation, and such issues as Social Security and election reform. Fessler was also one of NPR's White House reporters during the Clinton and Bush administrations. Before becoming a correspondent, Fessler was the acting senior editor on the Washington Desk and oversaw the network's coverage of theNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Pam FesslerFri, 12 Jan 2018 12:10:06 +0000Pam Fesslerhttp://wwno.org
Pam FesslerPresident Trump has shown little interest in fighting the threat of Russians hacking U.S. elections. He's shown a lot of interest in fighting voter fraud, something he insists — without evidence — is widespread. Parts of his administration are doing just the opposite. Bob Kolasky, an acting deputy undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), told a group of election officials gathered in Washington, D.C., this week that the threat of Russian hacking in future elections is "a national security issue." "We have seen no evidence that the Russian government has changed its intent or changed its capability to cause duress to our election system. That may not be the only concern we have in the future," Kolasky said, adding that another nation-state or bad actor could also attempt to interfere in U.S. voting. The intelligence community concluded last year that Russian hackers probed election systems in at least 21 states before the 2016 election, although there's no evidenceTrump Official On Russian Hacking: 'A National Security Issue'http://wwno.org/post/trump-official-russian-hacking-national-security-issue
133792 as http://wwno.orgFri, 12 Jan 2018 10:06:07 +0000Trump Official On Russian Hacking: 'A National Security Issue'Pam FesslerPoor families in the United States are having an increasingly difficult time finding an affordable place to live, due to high rents, static incomes and a shortage of housing aid. Tenant advocates worry that the new tax bill, as well as potential cuts in housing aid, will make the problem worse. An estimated 11 million families in the U.S. now pay more than half their income on rent, a number that has grown steadily as the supply of affordable housing shrinks. The result, say tenant advocates, is that some people are forced to choose between paying for rent or other necessities, such as food and medicine. But landlords says tenants' failure to pay their rent only adds to the affordable housing shortage. Without rental income, it's hard for landlords to pay their mortgages or other bills, says Heiner Giese, a Milwaukee landlord and an attorney for the Apartment Association of Southeastern Wisconsin. Giese showed the impact in a tour of one neighborhood in the north side of the city, madeWhy Affordable Housing Could Become Harder To Findhttp://wwno.org/post/advocates-fear-tax-bill-will-worsen-us-affordable-housing-shortage
133606 as http://wwno.orgTue, 09 Jan 2018 22:12:00 +0000Why Affordable Housing Could Become Harder To FindPam FesslerPresident Trump dissolved the presidential commission he established last year to investigate claims of voter fraud in the 2016 election. Multiple states have refused to comply with the commission's requests for information, but the commission was also mired in several lawsuits, including one from Democratic members of the panel. Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: President Trump says he has dissolved the commission investigating voter fraud, a panel that asked states for extensive personal information on voters and drew heavy criticism and lawsuits. NPR's Pam Fessler has been covering the commission since its inception, and she's on the line with us now. Hi, Pam. PAM FESSLER, BYLINE: Hey, Ari. SHAPIRO: Is this decision to end the commission as sudden as it seems? FESSLER: Yeah, it's pretty sudden. Just last week, the vice chair of the commission, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, was saying that he thought the commission would probably be meeting again thisTrump Dissolves Presidential Commission On Voter Fraud http://wwno.org/post/trump-dissolves-presidential-commission-voter-fraud
133250 as http://wwno.orgThu, 04 Jan 2018 01:36:00 +0000Trump Dissolves Presidential Commission On Voter Fraud Pam FesslerChristine Thompson is eager to leave the two bedroom apartment she rents in a shabby house on the north side of Milwaukee. There are so many things wrong with the place. "In the bathroom I have to turn my shower on in order for the light to come on. And when I turn the shower off, the light goes off," she says. The apartment also has mice, cockroaches, and so many bedbugs that she and her sons — ages 3 and 7 — sleep on an air mattress on the dining room floor, where's there's no carpet. She also has no oven or stove, and water leaking from the ceiling. But Thompson's search for a new place has hit a brick wall after her landlord recently filed an eviction case against her, saying she owes more than $3,000 in back rent. She says most landlords won't rent to her with a potential eviction on her record while others are demanding that she pay two months rent, plus a security deposit, up front, something she can't afford. Thompson is hardly alone. There are about 12,000 eviction cases eachAs Temperatures Fall, No Halt To Evictions Across Most Of The Countryhttp://wwno.org/post/temperatures-fall-no-halt-evictions-across-most-country
132261 as http://wwno.orgMon, 18 Dec 2017 10:00:00 +0000As Temperatures Fall, No Halt To Evictions Across Most Of The CountryPam FesslerHomelessness in the United States went up slightly this year for the first time since 2010. During a one-night count in January, 553,742 people were found living outside or in shelters across the country, a 0.7 percent increase from the year before, according to new data released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development on Wednesday. The increase is almost entirely due to a surge in homelessness in Los Angeles and other cities facing severe shortages of affordable housing, say HUD officials. Many of the cities are on the West Coast, including Seattle, San Diego and Sacramento, Calif. Overall, the nation's homeless numbers are 13 percent lower than they were in 2010 and some communities have all but eliminated homelessness among veterans, emphasized HUD Secretary Ben Carson. "Where we're not making great progress are in places like Los Angeles and New York City. These happen to be places where the rents are going up much faster than the incomes," said Carson in an interviewHomeless Population Rises, Driven By West Coast Affordable-Housing Crisishttp://wwno.org/post/homeless-population-rises-driven-west-coast-affordable-housing-crisis
131510 as http://wwno.orgWed, 06 Dec 2017 05:02:00 +0000Homeless Population Rises, Driven By West Coast Affordable-Housing CrisisPam FesslerCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit DAVID GREENE, HOST: It is Election Day today, and voters are going to the polls in New Jersey, Virginia, also several other states. This is, of course, a year after Russia tried to interfere in the presidential election. This is also almost a year since President Trump claimed - without evidence - that millions of people voted illegally. NPR's Pam Fessler reports on what is being done to help protect U.S. elections. PAM FESSLER, BYLINE: When voters cast ballots in Virginia today, they'll do so on machines that have paper records. So if the results are questioned, there's some way to check the electronic count. It's a significant change from last year. Edgardo Cortes is the state's election commissioner. EDGARDO CORTES: The department recommended that action, based on our concerns over the security of the equipment, but more so kind of our ability to recover if something happened to the equipment. FESSLER: It's one of many steps taken to reassureA Year After Russia Meddling, Off-Year Elections Are Monitoredhttp://wwno.org/post/year-after-russia-meddling-year-elections-are-monitored
129650 as http://wwno.orgTue, 07 Nov 2017 10:06:00 +0000A Year After Russia Meddling, Off-Year Elections Are MonitoredPam FesslerHouse Republicans say the tax bill they introduced Thursday will grow the economy, create jobs and simplify tax returns, in part by eliminating tax deductions. "Over 90 percent of Americans will be able to fill out their taxes on a postcard. That's what simplicity means," House Majority Whip Steve Scalise said. But charities and nonprofit groups say that simplicity comes with a price. Even though Republicans promise to preserve the deduction for charitable donations, these groups say other proposed changes in the bill will discourage giving. Steve Taylor, senior vice president and counsel for public policy at United Way Worldwide, notes that about a third of taxpayers currently itemize their deductions, including for charitable donations. "Under this new proposal, only about 5 percent of people will itemize their taxes," he says. "What that means is effectively millions of Americans that currently claim the charitable deduction will lose it." The Republican plan would double theNonprofits Fear House Republican Tax Bill Would Hurt Charitable Giving http://wwno.org/post/nonprofits-fear-house-republican-tax-bill-would-hurt-charitable-giving
129500 as http://wwno.orgSat, 04 Nov 2017 09:00:00 +0000Nonprofits Fear House Republican Tax Bill Would Hurt Charitable Giving Pam FesslerThe work of President Trump's commission studying voter fraud and other voting problems has been stalled by the eight lawsuits filed against it, according to one commission member. Indiana's Republican Secretary of State Connie Lawson says the suits, which seek release of all of the commission's correspondence, among other things, have had a "chilling" effect. Some Democrats on the 11-member panel have complained in recent weeks that they're being kept in the dark about its activities and plans. But Lawson says she doesn't think anybody's being shut out because "right now, there's nothing going on." Speaking to reporters after testifying about voting matters on Capitol Hill, Lawson says her understanding is "that they wanted to get some of these lawsuits settled and then move forward." "It's very chilling to know that you can't really work without somebody suing over something that you've done," she adds. "We're not emailing each other. We're not conversing with each other." Liberal'Nothing Going On' With Trump Voter Fraud Commission Due To Multiple Lawsuitshttp://wwno.org/post/nothing-going-trump-voter-fraud-commission-due-multiple-lawsuits
128811 as http://wwno.orgThu, 26 Oct 2017 09:23:00 +0000'Nothing Going On' With Trump Voter Fraud Commission Due To Multiple LawsuitsPam FesslerFive years ago, James Brown moved into his first apartment after more than two dozen years living on the streets of Los Angeles. Brown was housed as part of a joint effort by the federal government, local communities and nonprofit agencies to help tens of thousands of homeless veterans in the U.S. Today, Brown still lives in the same apartment — a success story in the struggle against chronic homelessness. And while the homeless rate in the U.S. has been going down overall, it's growing in LA as well as some of the nation's other costliest cities. By the latest count, there are almost 58,000 homeless people in Los Angeles County, a 23 percent increase from last year. Brown is charming with a quirky sense of humor. When he started to give a reporter a tour of his East Hollywood apartment five years ago, he stopped when he saw the microphone. "OK, wait a minute, since this is radio, no one can actually see what's going on," he observed with a smile. "And they can only go by what they'reIn A Push To House The Homeless, High Prices Are Eroding Gainshttp://wwno.org/post/push-house-homeless-high-prices-are-eroding-gains
128619 as http://wwno.orgTue, 24 Oct 2017 15:51:33 +0000In A Push To House The Homeless, High Prices Are Eroding GainsPam FesslerEfforts to boost public confidence in U.S. elections are proceeding on two parallel tracks right now. One is moving slowly, but steadily. The other is hardly moving at all. Most of the attention has gone to a commission set up by President Trump to look into allegations of voter fraud and other electoral problems. The panel — called the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity — has been mired in controversy ever since it was formed earlier this year. Its work now appears stalled amid internal divisions and outside legal challenges. But as that panel limps along, several other efforts to address threats to U.S voting are making progress. This month, the federal government and state and local election officials met in Atlanta to start the process of sharing more information about potential threats and pooling security resources. The move was in response to intelligence findings that Russia probed or tried to hack into numerous state election systems last year, and that itA Tale Of Two Efforts To Improve Confidence In U.S. Electionshttp://wwno.org/post/tale-two-efforts-improve-confidence-us-elections
128548 as http://wwno.orgMon, 23 Oct 2017 15:35:27 +0000A Tale Of Two Efforts To Improve Confidence In U.S. ElectionsPam FesslerA member of President Trump's voter fraud commission, former Arkansas state Rep. David Dunn, died suddenly Monday from complications during surgery, according to his office. According to the Associated Press, Dunn was 52 years old. Dunn was one of five Democrats on the advisory panel, which has been embroiled in controversy ever since it was created earlier this year to study problems in the nation's electoral system. In a statement, fellow commissioner J. Christian Adams, a Republican, said Dunn was "courageous to serve, courteous in his manners, and kind to everyone." The commission has met only twice so far — the last time on Sept. 12 in New Hampshire. There's been no word on when, where or whether it will meet again. The panel got off to a rough start when its vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, asked every state to send the commission detailed voter data in order to look for evidence of voter fraud. Many states balked, saying that such information was private.A Death And More Questions For Trump's Voter Fraud Commissionhttp://wwno.org/post/death-and-more-questions-trumps-voter-fraud-commission
128204 as http://wwno.orgTue, 17 Oct 2017 21:45:04 +0000A Death And More Questions For Trump's Voter Fraud CommissionPam FesslerUpdated on Tuesday at 5:35 p.m. ET Stephen Craig Paddock, the 64-year-old white man who police say carried out the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history Sunday night on the Las Vegas Strip moved frequently, buying and selling property in several states. But the twice-divorced retiree had one vein that seems to run through the middle of his itinerant lifestyle — a love of gambling. Police say that on Sunday night, Paddock broke out windows in a 32nd-story hotel room at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and pulled the trigger, raining a hail of gunfire on concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival across the street. Witnesses described what followed as "nonstop gunfire" that sent people fleeing for their lives. At least 59 people were killed and more than 500 injured. Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said shooter, described by authorities as a "lone wolf," checked into his room at the Mandalay on Thursday, but that police did not know what he had been doing in theGambling, Guns Were Mainstay Of Vegas Shooter's Lifehttp://wwno.org/post/las-vegas-shooter-said-be-restless-retiree-who-liked-gamble
127138 as http://wwno.orgMon, 02 Oct 2017 20:16:57 +0000Gambling, Guns Were Mainstay Of Vegas Shooter's LifePam FesslerThis fall's statewide elections in Virginia and New Jersey are the first big test of security measures taken in response to last year's attempts by Russia to meddle with the nation's voting system. Virginia was among 21 states whose systems were targeted by Russian hackers last year for possible cyberattacks. While officials say the hackers scanned the state's public website and online voter registration system for vulnerabilities and there's no sign they gained access, state authorities have been shoring up the security of their election systems. One of the most drastic steps was a decision by the Virginia Board of Elections earlier this month to order 22 counties and towns to adopt all new paper-backed voting machines before November. The board decided that the paperless electronic equipment they had been using was vulnerable to attack and should be replaced. "Got thrown a curve ball," says David Bjerke, director of election in Falls Church, a city in northern Virginia that was amongLearning 2016's Lessons, Virginia Prepares Election Cyberdefenseshttp://wwno.org/post/learning-2016s-lessons-virginia-prepares-election-cyberdefenses
126675 as http://wwno.orgTue, 26 Sep 2017 10:05:00 +0000Learning 2016's Lessons, Virginia Prepares Election CyberdefensesPam FesslerUpdated at 8:15 p.m. ET One of the public's unanswered questions about Russia's attempts to break into election systems last year was which states were targeted. On Friday, states found out. The Department of Homeland Security said earlier this year that it had evidence of Russian activity in 21 states, but it failed to inform individual states whether they were among those targeted. Instead, DHS authorities say they told those who had "ownership" of the systems — which in some cases were private vendors or local election offices. State election officials were finally contacted by federal authorities on Friday about whether their election systems were among those targeted for attack last year by Russian hackers. State election officials have complained for months that the lack of information from the federal government was hampering their efforts to secure future elections. "We heard that feedback," says Bob Kolasky, acting deputy undersecretary for DHS's National Protection and10 Months After Election Day, Feds Tell States More About Russian Hackinghttp://wwno.org/post/10-months-after-election-day-feds-tell-states-more-about-russian-hacking
126525 as http://wwno.orgSat, 23 Sep 2017 05:49:11 +000010 Months After Election Day, Feds Tell States More About Russian HackingPam FesslerA fact-finding hearing by President Trump's commission looking into voter fraud exposed self-inflicted rifts among its members during the panel's second meeting Tuesday in Manchester, N.H. Days earlier, the panel's Republican co-chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, wrote a column in Breitbart News claiming that there was proof of enough voter fraud in New Hampshire last November to possibly have influenced the outcome of a Senate race. That did not sit well with another commission member, New Hampshire's longtime secretary of state, Democrat Bill Gardner, who happened to be the host of Tuesday's commission meeting. Gardner said Kobach's column caused a "problem" by questioning whether last year's election was "real and valid." "It is real and valid," he said, to the applause of some in the audience. But Gardner said he could see why there might be confusion. His state has complicated residency rules about who can and can't vote, which might lead some people to conclude thatTension And Protests Mark Trump Voting Commission Meetinghttp://wwno.org/post/tension-and-protests-mark-trump-voting-commission-meeting
125862 as http://wwno.orgTue, 12 Sep 2017 22:55:00 +0000Tension And Protests Mark Trump Voting Commission MeetingPam FesslerWhat was already expected to be a contentious second meeting for President Trump's Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, on Tuesday in Manchester, N.H., is likely to get a whole lot more contentious thanks to a column written by the panel's co-chair. Although the chairman, Vice President Pence, said in that first meeting that the commission has "no preconceived notions or pre-ordained results," the panel's co-chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, seemed to contradict him in Breitbart News last week. Kobach claimed that "now there's proof" of voter fraud in last year's election, enough to have likely changed the outcome of a key Senate race. He cited a report that more than 5,000 New Hampshire voters used out-of-state drivers' licences as identification and have yet to update those licenses, even though new residents are required to do so within 60 days of moving to the state. "It is highly likely that voting by nonresidents changed the result," wrote Kobach, one of the fewTrump's Voting Commission Embroiled In New Controversy Ahead Of Next Meetinghttp://wwno.org/post/trumps-voting-commission-embroiled-new-controversy-ahead-next-meeting
125801 as http://wwno.orgTue, 12 Sep 2017 09:00:00 +0000Trump's Voting Commission Embroiled In New Controversy Ahead Of Next MeetingPam FesslerCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: One of the most difficult parts of disaster recovery can be finding housing. Tens of thousands of Texans left homes that were destroyed or too damaged to return to any time soon. NPR's Pam Fessler reports that government officials are trying to figure out where all these people will live in the months and even years ahead. PAM FESSLER, BYLINE: Retiree Boyd Coble is one evacuee who's eager to find out what happens next. He's been staying at a makeshift shelter run by a Houston mosque after sheriff's deputies insisted he leave his flooded home Tuesday morning. Coble was reluctant to go. BOYD COBLE: I didn't want to leave my home behind. I have lived there for 30 years, never had water in the house. I want to be home. FESSLER: But the prospects for that are bleak. When Coble left, his floors had already buckled. He said it was almost like they were floating. Former FEMA official Brad Gair estimates that tens of thousands of floodThousands Of Harvey Flood Victims Will Likely Need Long-Term Temporary Housinghttp://wwno.org/post/thousands-harvey-flood-victims-will-likely-need-long-term-temporary-housing
125157 as http://wwno.orgFri, 01 Sep 2017 20:32:00 +0000Thousands Of Harvey Flood Victims Will Likely Need Long-Term Temporary HousingPam FesslerNow that the rain has stopped and floodwaters are slowly starting to recede, government officials are figuring out where tens of thousands of evacuees in Texas and Louisiana can stay. The White House estimates about 100,000 houses were affected by the storm. Many were destroyed or are too damaged to live in. More than 30,000 people are staying in emergency shelters and will soon be in need of permanent accommodations. Based on the experience of people whose homes were damaged after Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy, it could be months, even years, before flood victims will be able to return home. Finding temporary housing is one of the biggest challenges in disaster recovery, says former FEMA official Brad Gair. He was thankful to see so many rescues this week but says he also had another reaction. "Most people are looking at it and saying, 'Thank God, we've saved another family.' I look at it and say, 'Oh my God, there's another family we're going to have to figure out how toAt Least 100,000 Homes Were Affected By Harvey. Moving Back In Won't Be Easyhttp://wwno.org/post/least-100000-homes-were-affected-harvey-moving-back-wont-be-easy
125098 as http://wwno.orgFri, 01 Sep 2017 09:00:00 +0000At Least 100,000 Homes Were Affected By Harvey. Moving Back In Won't Be EasyPam FesslerCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Disaster relief groups have begun distributing massive amounts of aid throughout flooded parts of Texas - food, water and medical supplies. They anticipate the need for help will grow in the weeks and months ahead. As NPR's Pam Fessler reports, it can be a challenge making sure the right charitable aid gets to the right place at the right time. PAM FESSLER, BYLINE: Derrick Chubbs is president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin. They weren't directly affected by this week's floods, so he says they're in a good position to help colleagues who weren't so lucky like the Houston Food Bank, which was shut down by the storm. Now the Central Texas Food Bank is sending in emergency supplies. DERRICK CHUBBS: Such as handheld snack items because, you know, there are many instances where there probably won't be a can opener and there's not likely any power. FESSLER: They also sent a truck full of meat today to the San AntonioDisaster Relief Groups Distribute Aid To Flood-Ravaged Texashttp://wwno.org/post/disaster-relief-groups-distribute-aid-flood-ravaged-texas
124907 as http://wwno.orgTue, 29 Aug 2017 20:32:00 +0000Disaster Relief Groups Distribute Aid To Flood-Ravaged TexasPam FesslerDisasters like the flooding that has followed Hurricane Harvey, displacing thousands of people, always create a tremendous need for help — and a tremendous desire to provide that help. But those who have dealt with disasters before say people need to be careful about how they contribute to disaster relief, and when. Cash donations are almost always preferred over items — such as blankets, clothing and stuffed animals — often sent into overwhelmed disaster areas by well-meaning donors. Nonprofit groups say in this case that they're also preparing for an extremely long recovery, and that the needs almost certainly will change over time. Still, there's been an immediate outpouring of aid , even as flooding continues to devastate areas of Texas and threaten Louisiana. The American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other groups already have received millions of dollars in donations to provide shelter, food and other assistance to flood victims. And almost 300 online GoFundMe campaigns haveWant To Help Hurricane Harvey Victims? Experts Say Donate Cashhttp://wwno.org/post/responding-harvey-will-be-long-term-issue-plan-cash-donations-match
124852 as http://wwno.orgTue, 29 Aug 2017 09:00:00 +0000Want To Help Hurricane Harvey Victims? Experts Say Donate Cash